Ryan Leaf is an Assistant Vice President, Financial Advisor and Portfolio Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. Prior to joining Merrill in 2022, Ryan worked as a financial advisor at UBS for 7 years were he helped executives at Fortune 500 companies with their personal investing and wealth management.
Ryan has two goals when working with clients:
1. To help them make the most with the resources they have
2. To create more predictable long-term outcomes in respect to his client's goals
Ryan spends much of his time learning about his clients’ current situation and future aspirations. He then follows a disciplined process that is built on time-tested principles in investing, wealth planning, and behavioral finance. This process allows him the flexibility to adapt to changes in the economy and situational changes with his clients.
Ryan prides himself on delivering a Five-Star customer experience. Backed by the vast resources of Merrill and the banking strength of Bank of America, Ryan provides his clients access to services that are generally not available to the average investor.
Ryan holds the CERTIFED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification awarded by the Certified Financial Board of Standards, Inc and The Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor® designation awarded by the National Association of Plan Advisors. He also holds the Certified Investment Management Analyst® (CIMA®) designation sponsored by the Investments and Wealth institute™ at the Yale School of Management.
Ryan is actively engaged in the local community thru multiple organizations. He is the active Vice President for the Charlotte West Virginia University Alumni Association and on the Fundraising Committee for The Charlotte Young Professionals Group (CYPG). He is also a member of the Association of Financial Educators, Society for Human Resource Management, and volunteers tutoring math to elementary school students in Mecklenburg County.
Ryan graduated from West Virginia University with a degree in Finance focusing on Investments and Employee Benefits. In his spare time, Ryan enjoys tying new cuisines, playing with his dog (Layla), and spending time with family and friends.
Ryan is open to working with individuals, families, and corporations that need and value advice from a professional. If you would like to set up an introductory meeting, send him an email or give him a call.
My mission, first and foremost, is to understand you and what matters most to you. Armed with that information I can ask thoughtful questions -- listening carefully, then understanding in detail where your wealth stands today and where you'd like it to be tomorrow. I help you design and implement a personalized plan intended to help you and your family pursue financial goals while helping manage investment risk. My approach is to focus on potential solutions that can help turn goals into reality.
Bringing fresh perspectives to your financial life
The financial decisions you make today can help determine the future you build for yourself and your family. Carving a clear path forward starts with connecting your life and finances. A Merrill advisor provides access to the investing insights of Merrill and banking capabilities of Bank of America to help you make informed decisions as you pursue your goals.